As experienced mobile app developers, it is our opinion at Apps4U that the best way of making sure you don’t miss important developments in the world of apps is to monitor and keep track of the latest and greatest trends affecting the industry.

For businesses using or considering developing an app, here are the most important mobile app development trends of 2017:

Mobile App Use Is Rising

But it isn’t just the volume of phone usage that is increasing. The amount of time spent using them is rising, too.

In 2013, the average daily phone use statistics indicated an average of 2 hours 15 minutes. In 2017, that figure has risen by an hour, with a consistent rise suggesting it will continue to grow into 2018.

What’s even more interesting is that, as mobile phone usage rises, the use of the usual favourite form of entertainment, television, falls. Estimates suggest that by the end of the year, TV will be average at 3 hours 50 minutes of watch time per day, down from 4 hours 30 minutes, with mobile phones up to 3 hours 23 minutes.

These figures suggest that, in 2017, mobile phones are fast becoming more popular amongst the general population than television. Mobile internet usage in 2017 has also overtaken desktop, claiming the majority share — over 52%.

What does this mean for businesses considering mobile app development? It means your market is growing — and growing fast.

Business App Downloads On the Rise

This makes sense, of course. You would expect the number of app downloads to correlate with the number of smartphones that actually exist. However, things are a little more complicated than that.

The type of apps that are downloaded is also changing.

Previously, gaming apps were kings of the app store, dominating downloads. But in 2017, we’ve seen a shift in the type of apps being downloaded. Entertainment apps still rule the roost, yet their figures are tumbling.

As their figures fall, other apps rise up. Downloads of lifestyle and eCommerce apps, the kind your business app would likely be categorised under, increased by over 80% throughout 2016, with the growth continuing into 2017.

Business apps are in much higher demand, as people seek to streamline their shopping and service acquisition experience. With the demand there, now is the time for small businesses to be investing in mobile app development.

The reasoning behind users’ love for apps is their accessibility and ease of use. The data backs this up: conversions on apps are, on average, between 100%-300% higher than a mobile website.

The argument is that the features and functionality of an app make them more appealing and, when combined with in-built shopping experiences and customised browsing options, results in a better sales platform that consumers are much more likely to engage with.

Android Apps Are Becoming More Valuable

Previously, there was a fact generally accepted by much of the app development community: iOS rules the roost in terms of value and revenue.

Android apps are becoming a lot more valuable, increasing to levels of previous iOS value. While the revenue of iOS apps has also increased, it has done so at a much slower rate, meaning the gap between Apple and Android has shrunk immensely. Gone are the days where the value of Apple means producing an Android app is far less effective.

More Small Businesses Are Developing Apps

Survival in the small business world is all about beating, or at least keeping up with, your competition. Being left behind and losing your competitive edge could be disastrous.

In previous years, most small businesses were without mobile apps, but things are set to change in 2017. The latest trend of mobile app development has to lead to predictions of a large jump in app ownership by the end of the year.